“Critical Race,” mixed media, 16 x 20 in. —Harry Seymour
Is there a Martha’s Vineyard Renaissance in the making?
Martha’s Vineyard has a rich history of Black art that has been shaped by the experiences of our African American community over many decades. In the early 20th century, Martha’s Vineyard became a popular summer destination for African American families from Boston, New York, the Midwest, and all points across the country. These families brought with them a new wave of Black art, including literature, visual art, and theater. The Island became a hub for Black artists, writers, and intellectuals who were seeking a space to create and share their work.
A group of these artists who had studied at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston began to gather on Martha’s Vineyard. Among them were painters Lois Mailou Jones and Allan Rohan Crite, who would become two of the Island’s most well-known Black artists.
Jones, who first visited the Island in the 1930s, was drawn to the vibrant culture and scenery. She would return many times over the years to paint the Island’s landscapes and people. Her work, which often depicted Black life and culture, earned her a reputation as one of the most important African American artists of the 20th century.
Crite, who was born and raised in Boston, began visiting in the 1940s. Like Jones, he was drawn to the Island’s beauty and began to paint scenes of everyday life on the Island. A noted Black liturgical artist, his work often depicted Black people and communities, and he became known for his ability to capture the dignity and humanity of his subjects. He was honored by the Martha’s Vineyard African American Heritage Trail in 2018 when Grace Church, where a vibrant mural painted by Crite resides, became site number 28 on the trail.
One of the most notable figures in the history of Black art on Martha’s Vineyard is Dorothy West. West was a writer and journalist who lived on the Island for many years. She was a member of the Harlem Renaissance and wrote several novels, including “The Living is Easy” and “The Wedding.” West’s work explored the experiences of African Americans in the early 20th century and helped to shape the literary landscape of the Island.
Today, Black art on Martha’s Vineyard continues to thrive at what can be considered a record pace, and the same can be said about the explosion of Black art around the country. Much of this can be attributed to the impact that current social issues have had on how Black artists are showcased and sought after in today’s art environment. Ann Smith, executive director of Featherstone Center for the Arts, says, “Following the death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests, in an attempt to exemplify inclusivity, social justice, and equity, cultural institutions, art galleries, and exhibit spaces across the globe are seeking to amplify the voices of historically underrepresented artists. Whether genuinely and authentically, there is an increased awareness and interest in Black art.”
Local art collector Sandy Grymes, board member of the Studio Museum in Harlem — one of the most renowned centers for Black art in the country — is involved in art matters around the world. “At the moment, we are in an inclusion and equity phase in the art world,” Grymes says. “Fortunately, the door has opened at a moment when we have a cadre of experienced curators, museum professionals, and established artists able to step up, show work, and lead major arts institutions across the world.”
But to be certain, the talent and unique perspective that Black artists depict in their work stands on its own. That Black art is more accessible to the world and therefore now appreciated is a testament to new visibility that has developed in the past few years. This led to record-setting prices for Black art at major auction houses. While perhaps at one time only, celebrated Black artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work sold at prices in the millions, now other Black artists such as Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis, Romare Bearden, Amy Sherald, and Kerry James Marshall’s paintings have sold in the same price range.
The Island is home to several galleries and art centers that showcase and sell the work of Black artists and, while the number continues to grow, more can be done. Valerie Francis, owner of Knowhere Gallery and Center of Knowhere Gallery, both in Oak Bluffs, shares, “Ralph and I launched Knowhere art gallery to change the world through art (as stated in our mission). The gallery is now five years old and since its inception we have expanded visibility and access to a more diverse group of artists. Inclusively, we are elevating African Americans, and artists from other backgrounds so as to reflect the diverse community which exists on and off the Island. The embrace we have received and appreciation expressed from visitors of the gallery spaces affirms that we are making a significant difference.”
One such artist is Atlanta-based Charly Palmer, whose solo exhibits were highly successful at the gallery. Palmer’s work is in private and public collections, which include JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, and Atlanta Life Insurance.
One of the longest-running art galleries on the Island is Cousen Rose Gallery. Owned and operated by Zita Cousens, the gallery opened in 1980. It is famous as a unique summer gathering place where art lovers come together to view the very diverse collection of artists such as Glenn Tunstull, Ekua Holmes, and Joseph Holston that can be found within the quaint gingerbread-style gallery in Oak Bluffs. The artists’ opening receptions and book signings for local authors draw crowds comprised of collectors and others who may be introduced to an artist for the first time.
“As more people actually view Black art, the exposure has created more interest and, inevitably, more investing,” Cousens says. “This is not only true on the Island, but nationwide as well. Viewers have to be exposed to Black art to even consider making an investment. There was a lack of exposure in the past…As consumers become more knowledgeable about art, the interest in investing in art increases.”
Adrienne Childs, an independent scholar and art historian, is the adjunct curator at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. She spends her summers on Martha’s Vineyard and was the curator for a wonderful exhibit last summer at Featherstone titled “Imagine: Celebrating Black Female Creativity.” According to Ann Smith, this exhibit was one of the best attended shows that also resulted in one of the highest sales records for Featherstone.
“I was shocked and astonished at how successful the exhibit turned out to be…Many said that they were moved by the work and loved the focus on Black women,” Childs says. “For those who visited, they were uplifted by the breadth of styles, skills, and imagery assembled in the show. There seemed to be a great demand for the art because the viewership was a record high for the gallery. Most of the works sold — and that was great for me, as well as the artists and the gallery. To know that people are going to live with the art and it will continue to impact them and their families is a wonderful thing. It’s how we grow the field and sow the love!”
I had the great honor of having several of my photographs (which also sold) included in the show, and I share Adrienne’s sentiment about the long-lasting effect of someone owning a piece of my art and enjoying it on the walls of their home.
In addition to galleries and special exhibitions that can be visited throughout the year on the Island, many outstanding artists own and manage their own space to create and sell their art. One of the best known such artists is Harry Seymour. While he gained his footing in the local art scene at galleries such as Dragonfly, Carol Craven Gallery, and El-legance, he eventually decided to set up space in his home to create and show his art. Nestled in a lovely neighborhood in Oak Bluffs, by-appointment-only visitors can tour Harry’s unique collection of paintings. He often marries his visual art with his poetry, using lyrical words and moving images to share messages on love, loss, and social justice.
Michael Johnson is another artist who owns and manages his own art for show and sale in Vineyard Haven. His photographs hold an iconic place with anyone familiar with Martha’s Vineyard, particularly his image of the Polar Bears donning swim caps and joining in a circle in the waters off Inkwell Beach in the early morning hours. That image also holds a special place in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture exhibit about Martha’s Vineyard.
There isn’t enough space to highlight all aspects of Black art that is burgeoning on the Island, or the number of venues where the art can be viewed and purchased. The Martha’s Vineyard Museum has become a key player in showcasing beautiful historic and contemporary Black art. It was in their former venue in Edgartown that I first enjoyed an exhibit of Lois Mailou Jones’ work. In that space the work was almost hidden, but now with the expansive exhibit space in the museum’s Vineyard Haven location, all art exhibitions enjoy open air and space for viewing. In 2021 the museum offered “Work of the Soul,” featuring Lois Mailou Jones, Meta Warrick Fuller, Delilah Pierce, and Olive (Cutie) Bowles.
Other art venues such as Chris Morse’s Granary Gallery, Eisenhauer Gallery, and Louisa Gould Gallery, to name a few, have selectively curated artwork from well-known Black artists including Elizabeth Catlett, Janice Frame, a long-time Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School teacher, and Martha Mae Jones.
When I began research for this article my point was to answer the question “What is the state of Black art on Martha’s Vineyard?” Having done the research and obtained input and feedback from key players in our community, I am struck with another thought. The early artists on our Island such as Dorothy West and Lois Mailou Jones, as well as the actors and writers who frequented Shearer Cottage, were members of the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was viewed as a point in time in Harlem tied to the great migration, when Blacks from the south migrated north and Harlem was one of the stop-off places. And it was there that a community was born that nurtured artists as they supported one another and grew their craft.
When I look at what’s happening on the Island, and in speaking to the people who have helped contribute content to this article, I’m wondering if there isn’t another renaissance that is taking place that perhaps is the Martha’s Vineyard Renaissance. It isn’t that the art community is new; we have been doing this for a very long time. But certainly the number of players, the level of expertise, the key powerful roles that many hold both on the Island and around the country in the art world, the number of dollars that are now being invested in the purchase of Black art, all point to a supposition that we are creating the history of the future.
I doubt the artists, writers, and collectors during the Harlem Renaissance era thought they were leaving a legacy that we would forever refer to as the Harlem Renaissance. Just as I don’t think all of us who are in the art world in one capacity or another on the Island today view what we’re doing is the creation of a new movement. Time will tell. But I think others will look back at this point in time, look at the legacy and growth of Black art and artists, galleries, curators, and collectors and say that in the 2020s Martha’s Vineyard became a mecca for Black art.
If there is one absolute challenge for this growth to successfully continue it is best stated by Ann Smith: “The challenge is to stay relevant and fresh and true to your own voice and community.”
Jennifer Smith Turner is a poet, novelist, and photographer as well as a member of the self-proclaimed Martha’s Vineyard Renaissance.